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Hope wanted to devour him.
Dang!
Then she remembered how bedraggled she must look in comparison. How was it fair that he sat there looking so sinfully sexy while she undoubtedly looked like she'd been sent for and couldn't come? Where was the justice in that?
She was about to duck back into the bedroom when Drew spotted her. "Good morning, beautiful," he greeted, his smile as bright as the sunshine streaming through the casement windows.
Damn him.
"Mornin'," Hope mumbled, heading straight for the coffeemaker. She popped in a pod, pulled a mug from the cabinet, and slid it into place before hitting the brew button, all while keeping her back to him. "How long have you been up?" she asked as the machine gurgled to a stop.
"Since about six." Rising, Drew crossed to make himself another cup of coffee. While waiting, he lifted her chin with his forefinger and dropped a kiss on her lips. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good." She sighed. Shivers rippled through her as the woodsy smell of his soap enveloped her. Never had Hope been as attuned to a man's scent as she was Drew's. Then again, every freaking thing about him affected her.
It was both unsettling and comforting at the same time.
"Want some breakfast?" he asked.
"I could eat."
"Great. I'll throw something together while you get ready."
She took a sip of coffee. "Ready for what?"
"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise."
Intriguing. Hope’s pulse kicked up a notch. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"
"A secret one." Drew opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs. "Wear something comfortable and warm."
"C’mon. At least give me a hint."
"We'll be outside." He grinned, and Hope nearly swooned. "The sooner you get ready, the sooner you'll find out," he prompted when she just stood there.
What on earth was he up to? According to the conversations after dinner the day before, everyone seemed to have their own plans for today. Zeke needed to catch up on some paperwork. Anna and Sarah were off to shop Black Friday sales till they dropped. And Reese had the boys to look after while he took care of his farm chores.
Apparently, whatever Drew had planned only involved the two of them. Anticipation and excitement trembled through her.
"You're not getting ready," Drew pointed out, a glint in his lake blue eyes. "Do you need some help with that?"
"I think I can handle it." Not that she wasn't tempted.
Drew inclined his head toward the bedroom. "Then handle it," he prodded with another one of his sexy-as-hell grins.
"Oh-kay." Hope drew out the word with a mock salute and headed for the bedroom.
* * *
Unsure of how long what he had planned would actually take, Drew decided to prepare a big breakfast to tide them over into early afternoon if they weren't back by noon. As the bacon and sausage sizzled in separate skillets, Drew scrambled half a dozen eggs, zapped frozen pancakes in the microwave, and popped canned biscuits in the oven.
When everything was almost finished, he tried to replicate his mother's gravy by stirring flour and milk into the pan with the sausage. As the roux bubbled under medium heat, Drew dished up the eggs and set the bacon on a paper towel-covered plate. Turning back, he quickly stirred the gravy, lest it stick, before setting the table with the necessary plates and utensils.
Drew was pouring the gravy into a bowl when Hope returned to the kitchen and went to the fridge to pour herself a glass of milk. The scent of her body wash, shampoo, and something uniquely Hope reached him first, its warm, vanilla aroma curling around him like a morning glory around a beanpole.
Instead of her usual one single plait down the middle of her back, Hope had braided her hair on each side of her freshly scrubbed face, the banded ends falling just below her shoulders and brushing against a navy cable knit sweater. His gaze drifted appreciatively over the way the stretch fabric of her dark leggings molded to the curve of her hips and mile-long length of her legs before disappearing beneath well-worn black riding boots.
With massive effort, Drew restrained himself from peeling Hope right out of her clothes and hauling her back to bed. Damn, he had it bad.
